Running a IH Truck with a dt466e engine. 210hp. Its got the 7 spd tranny. Problem is no power in top two gears. Lots of jam in L 1-2-3-4 but in 5 and 6 you can hold it to the floor and has no accel power at all.

Turbo is good, changed the accuator, fuel regulator, fuel pressure is perfect, boost press is good. We were always thinking motor, but today are wondering could it be the tranny. More so the diff.

I know the tranny was changed before I bought it, but according to manufacturers specs it still has the right one. Supposed to have a 4:10 rear end; havnt checked that yet.

If there was a lower diff installed at one time could that be my problem.

Also Reverse seems really fast once going but hard to get going....

It was always a city truck with a van body so maybe they never noticed. I chopped the box off and made it into a water truck, but now don't have enough jam to haul water......

If it was a city truck maybe someone programmed in a very low top speed governor. I would think if it had a super high axel ratio, as in the low 3's it should go really fast in one of the middle gears, even if it couldn't pull the top ones.

L-1 takes maybe 2-3 seconds of accel time
1-2 3sec
2-3 3-4 sec
3-4 6 sec
4-5 30 sec
5-6 if a bird passes by and causes a head wind lucky to ever get it to speed.

In the first 4 gears no problems getting up to 2000+ rpms, when going from 5-6 you have to have at least 2000 rpms it will drop to 15-1600 and it has a hard time with foot to the floor to make it to 2000. If you get it there and shift to 6th, it will drop to 1500 and usually either bogs back down or very slowly increases. Sometimes I can get it up to 100km I've had it at 110. but very rarely. Its not governed just no balls to pull. and this is empty. This first 4 are just so peppy...Think I will pull the diff. its supposed to be a 4:10 Thinking its not/???? - also someone mentioned injectors but it runs and sounds so smooth, I can't imagine that being an issue or am I wrong?

How long have you had this truck? Did you just get it or have you had it for a few years and this is just become a problem? We have a 210HP 3208, and even empty it is gutless in the higher gears, but we know this and don't mind as it only travels very short distances at harvest. What you describe sounds about normal for these engines.

Just a thought but are you sure you are shifting the pattern right. We have a IH water truck that sounds the same as the one you have. The shift pattern is. 1L/H 2L/H 3L/H then 4L 5L 4H 5H. Hopefully you that helps. We almost didn't buy the truck because it had no power in 4 and 5 until we seen the shift pattern decal.

I have a 7.8 ford inline 6, in a L8000. This truck has a 22' bed and will haul 700bu corn or beans. It only has a 5 speed trans. but has 4:10 gears a will hit 2000rpm quick in every gear, which limits it's top speed when loaded to about 65mph. I think the dt466 is a comparable engine as far as hp, to the 7.8 ford.

I agree D&M I've had 466's in the past, really don't mind them. Usually they are a fairly snappy motor but with different trannys and no problems with power. Bottom 5 gears lots of rpms. probably red line it if I want to. As far as shifting, can't really screw this one up. It just a straight 7: L-1-2-3-4-5-6. no splitting. Just can't figure why it can't hold its own in top gear. Like I said before, I've had it up to highway speed but for a short distance maybe a mile or two, before it slowly loses rpms. forcing to downshift and regain momentum. Maybe its only designed to be in 4th gear and drive 30mph.....5+6 were just extra gears....doubt it though

You also don't say what model the chassis is, and how much weight you're packing, ie: how many gallons of water. And what are your RPMs in say fourth gear and what is the speed? This information is important to get a picture of whats happening.

But the simplest obvious factor in determining what is going on...when you are trying to travel in 5th or 6th gears and it can't pull itself, what color is the smoke? And how much of it is there? Does it smoke when under hard acceleration in the lower gears?

Since you imply this thing has a high reverse and its an ex city delivery truck, I suspect there are some higher speed ratios involved. Most likely 5th is direct and 6th would be overdrive. I believe 210 is the lowest or one of the lowest power ratings for the 466. It's possible this thing was set up as some are for hauling potato chips or such.